Uber to raise prices for rides in London by 10% from tomorrow

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WL

Bear is raising its prices in London for the first time since 2017 in a bid to lure more drivers back to the podium and tackle long wait times.

Fares will rise by 10% in Greater London from November 11 with “prime time” prices for airport trips rising by 25%, The Standard reveals. Drivers were told on Wednesday evening.

This is the first time since 2017 that the taxi app has raised its base fares in London. Base prices are used as multiples to calculate final prices.

The overall hike will mean Londoners will face paying more for off-peak day trips, as the minimum Uber fare in the capital will rise from £5 to £5.50.

Customers traveling to Heathrow or Gatwick are likely to encounter steeper hikes. Airport fares will increase by 15% at peak times in addition to the overall increase by 10%. The base fare is currently £2.50 and will rise to £2.75. Minute and mile rates will also rise by 10%.

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Uber has seen a rise in demand since the lockdown restrictions were lifted over the summer, but driver numbers have not risen as much.

Thousands of former drivers have not logged into the app again since the lockdown was lifted. Many have found other jobs elsewhere as passenger numbers have fallen during successive lockdowns. These drivers now have many options, with high vacancy rates across the country.

The shortage of drivers has led to an increase in “surge pricing”, where a trip that normally costs £10 suddenly costs 1.8 times that amount, for example, and has also led to longer wait times.

Uber hopes the high fees for taxi drivers will lure them back to the platform. It has already announced plans to attract about 20,000 additional drivers to smoothly meet passenger demand and lower fares.

An Uber spokesperson said: “We are making these changes to help provide a better rider experience, by registering more drivers to meet the growing demand.

“We know that people rely on Uber to book a safe journey around London and this small increase in fare will help reduce wait times. As always, passengers will get an estimate of the fare before they book their flight.”

Uber will continue to deduct 25% of trip fares.

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